Gravity-latch for sliding doors.



E. DESJARDINS. GRAVITY LATGH FOR SLIDING DOORS.

APPLICATION IILBD NOV. 22, 1910.

1,000,500, Patentd Aug. 15, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 E. DESJARDINS.

GRAVITY LATCH FOR SLIDING DGORS.

. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 22, 1910.

. \Q /m/////////M -M M W M 2???? TE STAES ERNEST IDESJ'AR DINS, 0F BIDDEFORD, MAINE.

GRAVITY-LATCH FOR SLIDING DOORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

Application filed November 22, 1910. Serial No. 593,692.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST DESJARDINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Biddeford, in the county of York and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity-Latches for Sliding Doors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in gravity latches for sliding doors, and is especially designed for freight car doors.

The object of the invention is to provide a latch for holding a freight-car door in closed or open position.

Another object of the invention is to provide a latch which operates by gravity, when the door is caused to slide backward or forward by the jolting, during the coupling of the cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide a latch which may be locked by a seal when the car door is closed.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain combinations and arrangements of the parts, which will be more fully understood as the description proceeds, and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a car showing the application of my invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a similar view with the car-door in locked open position; Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the latch, and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 3, except the bolt of the latch is inwardly projected.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the side of a freight car, provided with the usual doorway 2, which is adapted to be closed by a sliding door 3, hung in any suitable manner on the side of the car, which carries stops 4 for limit-ing the longitudinal movement of the door. The inner side of the door 3 near the lower front corner is provided with a rectangular socket 5, from socket.

the inner edge of which longitudinally extends a shallow recess 6 for receiving a metal strip 7, having its inner end bent at a right angle, as at 8, to fit against the side of the The outer end of the metal strip 7 preferably extends beyond the rear edge of the door and is bent to forma rectangular portion 9, having its free end secured to the outside of the door.

Secured to the side of the car, and fitting into a suitable recess therein, is a plate 10 let in flush with the car side. The plate 10 is provided with a rectangular opening 11, through which projects a similar shaped bolt 12, which is adapted to engage the rectangular portion 9 of the metal strip 7 or register with the socket 5. Extending inwardly from the plate 10, in alinement with the opening 11, is a rectangular guide 13, in which is slidably mounted the bolts 12. Extending downwardly from the guide 13 and attached to the inner surface of the plate 10 is a housing 14, which leads to a vertical slot 15 in the plate. The under side of the rectangular bolt 12 is provided with a recess 16, for receiving the upper end of a long arm 17 of an L-shaped lever, which is pivotally mounted on a pin .18 passing through the sides of the housing 14. The short arm 19 of the L-shaped lever projects through the slot 15 and carries a tumbler 20, having a protuberance 21, by which the tumbler may be raised. A tongue 22 extends downwardly from the tumbler and is adapted to swing between a pair of ears 23 on the plate 10, said ears being provided with apertures 24 for attachment of a seal 25, when the tumbler is down, to prevent unauthorized persons raising the tumbler to release the door.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is apparent that the tumbler tends to keep the bolt projected, and when the car door is closed the bolt will engage the rectangular portion of the metal strip and securely hold the door against opening, until the tumbler is manually raised. When the door is opened and the socket is brought opposite the bolt, it projects therein and holds the door in open position.

Although the elements shown and described are well adapted to accomplish the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that slight changes may be made in the precise construction set forth without departlng from the spirit of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: I

A gravity operated bolt lock such as described, consisting of a plate, a projection perpendicular to said plate, a bolt slidably mounted perpendicular to the plate in said projection, an opening in the lower edge of the bolt, a recess formed below said projection, having pivoted therein a bell crank, the upper end'of which extends Within the opening formed within the slidable bolt, the

lower end of said bell crank enlarged to provide suflicient weight to normally hold the slidable bolt in an extended position, perforated ears formed integral with the plate and a tongue formed on the enlarged portion of the bell crank to fit between said perforated ears and thus provide means for locking the mechanism.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST DESJARDINS.

Copies of this patent niay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

, Washington, D. G." 

